Shower installations



Dec. 31', 1968 J. c. LONG 3,418,665

SHOWER INSTALLAT IONS Filed Feb. 23, 1966 Sheet or 2 INVENTO R JOHN 6. LONG BY z fimm/Z WWW WW 99,29 A; iORNEYS Dec. 31, 1968 J. c. LONG snowm INSTALLATIONS Filed Feb. 23, 1966 INVENT OR JOHN 6. LONG Jmf/mrfw yaw 94g ATTOENEYS United States Patent 1 3,418,665 SHOWER INSTALLATIONS John C. Long, 90 Broad St., Charleston, S.C. 29401 Filed Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,412 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-149) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shower space extending installation comprising a space extending generally U-shaped curtain rod including an elongated portion and legs extending substantially at right angles thereto, attachment means carried by each of the legs in proximity to the elongated portion, and fn'ction bumpers mounted at the end of each leg. The space extending rod may be connected to the usual curtain mounting rod by the attachment means so that the ends of the legs abut against the opposite shower stall wall and the elongated portion projects laterally outwardly of the usual curtain rod and shower space.

This invention relates to shower bath structures of the type having a floor area serving as a water catcher and drain basin, a suitable fixed enclosure about a portion of the area periphery (such as walls along one, two or three sides), and a movable closure such as a door or curtain along a remaining portion of the enclosure to permit access to the area.

In shower installations commonly in use, all of the enclosure walls, including the movable parts thereof, such as curtains or doors, are generally mounted vertically so that the cross sectional area at different levels from the floor remains substantially constant. Many shower installations are based on relatively narrow bath tubs or on small floor areas in order to conserve space, and while they may provide sufiicient space for the feet and lower part of a bathers body, they provide only scant, and often cramped, accommodations for the bather from the waist up. It is my object to remedy this defect without increasing the base area occupied by the shower, either in new or existing installations.

By providing added space at approximately belt level and above I eliminate the likelihood of the bathers running into the curtain, and causing it to be pulled out of the tub or base enclosure. Thus, I minimize the possibility of water splashing outside of the tub or shower base.

My principal object therefore resides in the method and apparatus for constructing a shower in such a manner as to provide an expanded space above the floor area of the installation.

A further and more specific object resides in the method and apparatus for expanding the space within a shower compartment, by installing the closure thereof on a slant, at an angle diverging from the floor area, thereby adding a space of wedge-like cross section to the normally available space.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved shower curtain mounting which permits a more extended wrap around of the curtain and better containment of splash and drip within the shower base area.

A further object is to provide a method and apparatus for modifying existing shower installations by attaching a supplementary curtain rod to an existing rod, which added rod serves to attain slant mounting of the curtain to provide added space for the bather.

A further object is to provide a simplified two point mounting of said supplemental rod on the existing rod.

It is a further object of this invention to mount a supplementary curtain rod extending beyond the perimeter of the shower floor area on an existing curtain rod normally within the boundary of such area, and make said existing rod available for hanging laundry and the like.

Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the detailed description and appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention are as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shower installation utilizing a bath tub as its base and drain area;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view approximately through the middle of FIGURE 1, with curtain in place, showing the cross section of space added by the invention as a hatched triangle;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary View illustrating a specific form of attachment clamp coupling a standard shower curtain rod and the supplementary curtain rod of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross section through the clamp along line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an illustration of the manner in which a shower curtain is suspended from its rod and showing a weighting means at the bottom edge of the curtain;

FIGURE 6 shows a modified installation wherein the invention is applied to a shower stall instead of a tubshower combination;

FIGURE 7 illustrates a further modification utilizing a solid closure instead of a curtain; and

FIGURE 8 illustrates an alternative manner of suspending a shower curtain on a rod by way of plastic clips.

FIGURE 1 shows a preferred embodiment of my invention, as applied to a conventional, over the tub, shower installation. Tub 4 is set into a recessed area surrounded by walls 1, 2 and 3. A customary shower head and valves are shown on wall 1, and a conventional straight curtain rod 5 is mounted by suitable supports directly over the front edge of the tub.

A supplementary curtain rod 6 is mounted on rod 5 by brackets 7 at two points. The supplementary rod is in the shape of a broad-based U; its base 6a parallels rod 5 and is disposed well forward of rod 5. Legs 6' and 6" of rod 6 are substantially perpendicular to base 6a and are capped by suitable friction bumpers 8' and 8". Rod 6 is mounted by way of brackets 7 in inclined position, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, so that when it is firmly held from slippage by brackets 7, bumpers 8' and 8" will abut back wall 2 below a horizontal plane through said mounting brackets 7, to thereby prevent rotation of rod 6 about the brackets due to weight of the curtain or an inadvertent pull thereon. Thus, with only two points of attachment, stability equivalent to four point installation is attained.

The supplementary curtain rod 6 is of general cross section shown in FIGURE 4, and serves as a track for ourtain hooks 9. With rod 6 suspended below rod 5, the track therein is free to lead the curtain around the corners of the tube and prevent splash about the vertical edges of the curtain.

As shown in FIGURE 1, shower curtain 10- suspended from books 9 may wrap around well along legs 6 and 6" of the U-shaped rod to reduce or totally eliminate splash and drip on the floor. As shown in FIGURE 1 the shower curtain extends beyond the midpoint of leg 6'.

Curtain 10, when installed on rod 6 and suitably weighted down along its bottom edge, forms a slanting front closure as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The degree of slant may vary, but I find that an angle of 10 to- 20 will usually produce adequate space gain. The weightdown means for the curtain may take a variety of forms: in FIGURE 2 I have shown a water catching pocket 12 extending along the bottom of the curtain for this purpose; in FIGURE 5 there is shown a heavy cord 13 sewn into the hem; other known means, such as weights, magnets, etc., might be utilized for this purpose.

FIGURE 2 illustrates, in hatched lines, a cross section of space added by my invention as compared to a conventional shower enclosure. It also illustrates how the added space may be utilized for handing and drying laundry 11 when the installation is not used for showering. This is an important aspect of my invention inasmuch as it solves a problem commonly encountered in hotels, motels, and the like, where guests hang their overnight wash on the shower curtain rod. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, with the curtain hung on rod 6, there is space for hanging wash on rod 5, and the dripping from such wash will drain off along the inclined inner side of the curtain into the tub instead of the floor.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the adaptation of my invention to a stall shower with curtain rod shaped and mounted generally the same as the curtain rod 6 of FIGURE 1. To provide for ready application of my rod to installations of different widths and depths, telescoping expansion joints (not shown) may be incorporated in the base and leg portions thereof.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a still further embodiment, wherein sliding doors are utilized as the closure for an over the tube shower installation. A straight clothes hanging rod or line may be provided over the edge of the tub if desired, in this enclosure.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a modified suspension for the curtain. While in the preceding embodiment, illustrated in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, the curtain hooks 9 ride in a recessed track of rod 6, the suspension of FIGURE 8 utilizes external clips 13, made out of plastic, which can be sprung over curtain rod 6 as is apparent from the illustration. The rod encircling portions of the clips may be of circular cross-section and the rod holding clips 7 suitably rounded oif for free running of the clips.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shower space extending installation comprising a space extending generally U-shaped curtain rod including an elongated portion and legs extending substantially at right angles thereto, attachment means carried by each of said legs in proximity to the elongated portion, friction bumpers mounted at the end of each leg, a further straight curtain rod to which said space extending curtain rod is attached by the attachment means, and a wall in said installation engaged by said friction bumpers to prevent rotation of the space extending rod around the straight nod.

2. The shower installation of claim 1, wherein the shower curtain rod comprises a track, and shower curtain hooks are slidably guided by the track to permit a curtain hung thereon to traverse freely along the elongated portion of the rod and along the legs thereof, whereby a substantial curtain wrap around is facilitated to prevent splash and drip outside a shower drainage area.

3. For use as an attachment to increase the enclosure space above the floor area of an existing shower bath unit having the usual curtain mounting rod extending along the area opposite a wall arising from the area, a generally U-shaped supplemental curtain hanging rod comprising an elongated portion and legs extending transversely thereto, means for connecting said legs to said usual curtain rod so that the ends of said legs abut said wall and said elongated portion projects laterally outwardly of said usual rod and said floor area.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,648 3/1951 Byrne 4149 2,573,985 11/1951 Porter 4l49 2,774,974 12/1956 Zaloga 4-154 2,809,379 10/ 1957 Futran 4l49 2,878,487 3/1959 Foote 4154 3,101,485 8/1963 Kirshenbaum 4l46 3,104,014 9/ 1963 Piette 4-154 SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

